I’ve written a lot about values in the workplace — the values I’ve tried to adopt in my teams and how you need to renew these, how you can ensure policies you develop reflect different values so people can relate to them, how different values translate into types of a change maker.
Research by Birmingham University shows that there are different types of “political animals” in the workplace. These are individuals who vary in their level of involvement in office politics and their desire to engage in political manoeuvres themselves.
There’s a distinction between wanting to understand better how change works in an organisation to improve the chances of your project being able to stick and trying to get one over someone.
- It’s crucial to understand the organisation’s movers and shakers and determine their needs, influence, and appetite for change. This knowledge will empower you to navigate workplace dynamics effectively.
- It’s essential to recognise that there are different types of influencers — not just people with hierarchical seniority but also those with trusted networks internally or externally, great storytellers, those with solid specialist skills, or those who can leverage resources. This awareness is critical in understanding and leveraging workplace dynamics.
- By sharing what your needs, influence & appetite for change are, you can develop a strong relationship with a community of people who are also passionate about driving change. This sense of connection is invaluable in navigating workplace politics.
- Use those relationships to spot issues proving the most significant barriers to success in the organisation and those opportunities within that community of influencers to unblock them.
- Use that understanding to be better able to negotiate and bargain with people. The positions that people take on any given issue are less important than the needs they have. You can get people to shift positions while still meeting their needs
- Set the agenda to recognise other people’s concerns and allow them to lead the project.
